Lunch With "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree"

My grandson is the lucky recipient of "story lunches", which my creative daughter wholeheartedly enjoys putting together for him.  

She cuts the food into shapes, creates a scenario on his plate, and proceeds to tell him a story about the lunch.  Sometimes they're made up on the spot; other days her stories are inspired from one of his favorite picture books.



Yesterday she sent me pictures that I just had to share with you of their "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree" story lunch.

Are you familiar with this cute Christmas picture book by Robert Barry (first published in 1963)?

"Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree

Came by special delivery.

Full and fresh and glistening green-

The biggest tree he'd ever seen." 

I can guarantee that your child will love the story, told in rhyme, about all the places rich Mr. Willowby's too-tall-treetop (chopped off by his butler) is shared around the neighborhood -- unbeknownst to him!  

The very tip top ends up in a mouse family's hole as their tiny tree...

My grandson enjoyed a fun lunch of tortilla-gouda-apple mice and a snap pea Christmas tree!

"Then at the top, if you please,

They put a star made out of cheese!"

We had a good laugh, because our tree is actually a bit tall for my living room ceiling, so I don't have a tree topper yet.  "Should I get a cheese star?" I asked my grandson.  He just laughed and said, "Nooo, Grandma!"

For more Christmas stories featuring mice, go to my past blog post "Not A Creature Was Stirring...", here.

My December giveaway ends on December 15, 2015.  Go to my last post here to enter for a chance to win one of the two books I'm offering.  Winner announced on December 16, Jane Austen's birthday!